


Above Ground

by Rachel_Lu



Category: Doctor Who, Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Class Differences, F/M, Friends to Lovers, Gallifrey, Slow Burn, metropolis (Like that old ass movie)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-03
Updated: 2020-07-19
Packaged: 2021-02-28 02:20:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 19,072
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22546174
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rachel_Lu/pseuds/Rachel_Lu
Summary: On Gallifrey, the humans who were born there are subjected to live below the surface in an underground society, separated from the Gallifreyans.  School teacher Rose Tyler aims to change things, even if it costs her her own life.Prince Theta of Gallifrey has always thought there was more to the humans than meets the eye... And Rose Tyler proves him right.
Relationships: Tenth Doctor/Rose Tyler
Comments: 63
Kudos: 150





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello!! Not dead.
> 
> Also I'm not sure where this story will end up, the idea came to me in film class when we watched a few clips of Metropolis- and I wanted to expand on it and actually make it something that was way more romantic and- well, you know me.
> 
> I don't know how long this fic will be, but it was an idea that got me excited about writing again, so I figured I'd better hurry up and start it! Please review!

She didn’t mind taking care of the children. Quite the opposite, actually. But, often times she wished she could take them above ground and show them what the sky was like. 

Gallifrey wasn’t completely awful, but for humans, it was close. The humans who ended up on Gallifrey or were born there were forced to live underground and regulated to wear certain colors and perform certain jobs. Rose Tyler was an assigned teacher and lived in some pretty detestable living conditions. She liked the children and her job was good enough, but she often felt that she could be doing more. And simulated sunlight, she was told, was no match for the real thing.

“Rose?”  
Rose snapped up from the staring off that she was doing and looked over at Martha Jones, the teacher of the grade above her. Rose realized she’d been sitting at her desk and staring blankly for the better part of two minutes. She looked to Martha and offered a smile. “Ah… Sorry, Martha, I was daydreaming. Did you say something?”

“Not really, was just curious as to what you were up to- you’re usually on time in the lunchroom.”

“No, I’m just… I was just thinking.”

“Do you want to talk about it? We can go for a walk after school.”

Rose blew out her cheeks. “That would actually be great, thank you.” 

Martha nodded and smiled to her friend before disappearing from the doorway. Rose looked down at the papers she had to grade. They were on the history of Gallifrey. Rose knew plenty about it, knew almost everything after teaching it for so long. But she was sick of teaching it. Sick of telling these children that the people who were keeping them captive were the greatest species, the most powerful, the most admirable. Every once in awhile a Gallifreyan would come down to check on them and make sure no one was thinking about staging a rebellion. Unfortunately, rebellion was something Rose thought about all the time. Constantly, really. 

After classes were finished for the day, Rose met up with Martha outside the school. Sometimes it felt like they were moles, living in grey tunnels in the dirt. The high ceilings and the fake ‘outdoor’ sections almost tricked her sometimes. 

Martha and Rose walked to one of those outdoor sections, feeling the wind touch her face and wondering if the real thing was cooler or warmer.

“I wanna go up,” Rose said suddenly, looking to Martha. I want to go up to the surface.”

Martha’s eyes widened. “You what?”

“I’m twenty one years old and I’ve never seen the sun. I want to go up and see exactly what it is they’re keeping from us. They should let us go off world, let us go  _ home.”  _

“This is the only home we have,” Martha protested. “What- You sound like you’ve been planning this, and I don’t even know what to think of that.”

Rose pursed her lips, staring at some flowers ahead of her. “I’m… I’m so unhappy. And I just think that someone has to start it, you know? I’ve been thinking, that elevator that brings the officers from the Gallifreyan services down here, you don’t need any special access for it. You can just come or go. I want to just try it.”

“They could kill you!” __

“But they might not.”

“Rose…” She sighed. “I already know I can’t stop you. But I’m not sure that I can help you either.”

Rose shook her head. “I would never ask you to. I just know that this is something I have to do. I’m restless and miserable and if I can fix that, then I will. And even if it kills me,it might open the door for somebody else, and that would be… If I could be the start of something-”

A gentle hand laid on her shoulder. “I get it,” Martha said softly, “I get it.”

*****

Above ground, crown prince of Gallifrey, Prince Theta - stared off at the clouds. Since his crowning, he’s been forbidden from travelling off world. He couldn’t risk getting killed and he was enough of a flight risk that Rassilon didn’t want him to do anything risky. It was starting to make him antsy; he’d spent his teenage years flying around the galaxy and enjoying himself, saving people. 

“Hey, Koschei, do you ever wonder what the humans are doing?” He asked his friend. “You know, they’re just underground, I can’t help but wonder-”

“It’s where they belong, your highness,” Koschei responded firmly, sitting down in the grass next to him. “They’re the inferior species. That’s where they’re supposed to be.” 

Theta pursed his lips. “I… I’m just not sure I agree with that.”

“What, are you thinking about  _ releasing  _ them?” Koschei laughed. “They have excellent conditions here-”

“They live underground.” Theta frowned. “I- it’s not- I feel like it’s not about that,” he stared down at his hands. “These people, they’ve never felt the sun.”

Koschei snorted. “Come on, your highness. You know they have sunlight simulators down there, they’re fine.”

Even so, Theta couldn’t stop thinking about it for the rest of the day. Why  _ were  _ the humans underground? The Gallifreyans weren’t using them for anything, and there was no real reason for it. He couldn’t ask Rassilon. All they did was learn about in school was the fact that humans were there at all. No one felt like humans were worth anything, really, but Theta was always curious.

He’d been to Earth. He wasn’t supposed to tell anyone that, and he’d been very careful to make sure that Koschei didn’t find out, especially. He’d be absolutely livid. 

But the humans he had met… For the most part, they had been kind. He’d been able to form genuine bonds with them. In some cases, he missed them. Unfortunately, he had a duty to become king after Rassilon, since he had been chosen to succeed him. Sometimes Theta wished he’d been able to say no, wished he’d been  _ allowed  _ to say no. 

Days later, Theta was still thinking about the humans.

***

Days later, Rose was planning. She’d been talking to the children about going to the surface, and the response had been overwhelmingly positive. She hadn’t heard anything from the parents, but she hadn’t told the kids to keep it a secret. She took at that as the ‘go ahead’ nod from the public to get the ball rolling.

She’d investigated the elevator too- there were no security locks. The Gallifreyans were just trusting them to behave, and she was about to break that trust. She tried to keep her plan as secretive as possible, but if she was honest, she wasn’t too bothered by the idea of it getting out. She wasn’t sure if people would want to join her, but she had a feeling that there were many people who felt the way she did. 

Besides, she was fairly certain that she would be the only one to die if things went south. 

“Miss Tyler?” A little girl from her class tugged on her grey skirt, large eyes peering into hers.

“Hm?” Rose looked down. “What’s wrong, Jenny?”

“I just- When can we go up? I want to see the sun.”

Rose smiled a little. “Tomorrow. It’ll be a field trip.”

She wanted to see the sun too.

When the time came, martha watched Rose and her class leave the school. She was terrified for her, but she also knew that she couldn’t stop her. Rose Tyler was a woman who was too strong and too stubborn for her own good. But if anyone could do this, it was her.”

The elevator was a huge metal cage, and when Rose stepped into it, she could hardly believe what was happening. Her heart thundered painfully in her chest as she stood with ten children around her in the open space. She pressed the button that was at the top of the selections. She couldn’t read Circular Gallifreyan, but she had a feeling it was the right one. As the elevator ascended, she stared forwards, her hands shaking slightly on two of the children’s shoulders. 

The doors opened. 

She could only hear her own heartbeat. 

She squinted into the  _ sun.  _ She couldn’t help but smile. Snapping her eyes down, she stared out at the Gallifreyans who had frozen and were staring at her, mouths agape.

Right in front of her was a tall man with dark hair who was staring at her as though he’d never seen another person before, eyes wide. He was dressed in extreme finery, and Rose thought immediately that he must be someone very important. She tilted her chin at him, heart thundering wildly in her chest.

The man stared at her, and Rose felt herself starting to grow nervous. Someone could kill her, now. She almost wondered why no one was. Everyone was just staring at her, looking at her like they weren’t even sure what to do.

Finally, a man who wore the same uniform as the guards who came to check on the humans cut out into her line of sight, lifting a sword. Rose clenched her jaw and furrowed her brows, trying to remain as strong as possible. She put her hands in front of the children.

“We have every right to be up here, or leave the planet if we so choose. You can put a sword to me but don’t you dare put it towards these children.”

“You’re a teacher down below. You would think that above all people, an educator would know her place,” The guard drew his sword back, and Rose closed her eyes, heart thundering.

“NO!”

A shout broke through the sound of her own heart beat and the man dressed in finery from before stood in front of her now. “This is the first offense, Rubro. The humans have done nothing wrong before right now. Don’t let a murder of one be on your record and on your hearts.”  
Rose blinked, and the guard lowered his sword. This man must be incredibly powerful if a few words from him were enough to get him to listen. The man in question turned back to Rose, eyes full of worry. “Are you alright?”

“Yeah, I’m just fine,” Rose said, “I chose to come up, I could’ve handled-”

“He was about to kill you,” The man said, furrowing his brows. “You would’ve been willing to die?”

Rose gestured behind him. “I got to see the sun.”

The look that the man gave her looked like she had just shattered his heart, and she didn’t fully understand why. She tilted her head to the side. “Well, if no one is going to murder me, what are you going to do?”  
“Your highness, I would suggest putting her in the dungeon until further notice. The children can go back.” The guard, Rubro, she remembered, said finally. 

“Your highness?” Rose inquired.

“Hardly important.” The man waved his hand at her and turned back to the guard. “I’ll take her.”

Rubro gritted his teeth. Apparently he was not a fan of this idea, but as the man was seemingly royalty, he would not be allowed to object to him.

“Miss Tyler!” Jenny cried, tugging at Rose’s skirt. “Are we in big trouble?”  
Rose bent down to be on the little girl’s level. “I am, but you’re not. You lot will have to go home.”

The children all crowded around her, chattering loudly. Rubro came through and stood in the elevator, ushering the children further in and Rose and the other man out. Rose followed without questioning, and the man took her by the arm. 

“It doesn’t look like she’ll struggle, Rubro. I’ll take her from here.”

“Don’t do anything funny, your highness.”

“Never.”

The elevator closed and descended again, the children inside calling out for Rose. She felt her heart break a little, but she had accomplished  _ something.  _ She was on the surface. She could feel sun on her back, and real wind touching her hair. 

“Are  _ you  _ going to kill me?” Rose asked, looking up at the man.

“No,” he replied, tugging on her arm. “I’ll take you to the dungeon, because I’ll get in an absolute load of trouble if I don’t. But… Let’s take the scenic route.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm taking some liberties with the canon description of Gallifrey, so please be aware of that when reading!

The fact that Rose had not been blown into the sky the second she had come above ground was enough to put her in shock, but the fact that she was now walking with someone that Rubro had called ‘your highness’ made her wonder if maybe she didn’t know the whole story, like she thought she did.

The man who had taken her waved off the others who were staring. “Justice will be served,” he said, giving an awkward thumbs-up. He took Rose by the arm and led her out of the courtyard that she’d come up into from the elevator. Surprisingly, his grip wasn’t rough or too strong, and he was more guiding her than dragging her about. 

Outside of the courtyard, the world opened up. It appeared that the elevator had not been in the middle of any major hub, but instead, there was a huge field of red grass. Rose stumbled to a stop, staring out over it. The man looked over his shoulder at her and then past her before dropping her arm.

“Sorry about that. Have to keep up appearances in front of them, but… I can’t say that I think you’re dangerous.”

Rose just stared at him. Was she allowed to talk back to him? Would anything she say be held against her later? She had too many questions, but it was all overshadowed by the view in front of her. The artificial gardens and outside areas couldn’t even begin to compare to this sight alone. She swallowed hard, and stepped forward into the grass. The grass brushed against her legs and feet, touching her skin through her sandals. She felt real wind touch her cheeks and play with her hair. Suddenly, all her fear left her and she laughed. 

The man just stared at her, completely dumbfounded. “Are you alright?”

She nodded. “Yes.”

“I- erm, my name’s Theta, I’m the crown prince, and-”

That was enough to snap her out of whatever daze she had been locked into. She felt her eyes widen as she stared at him. “I’d… Figured that you were someone important. I suppose a prince would make sense.”

He seemed to blush a little at that and looked away from her. “Uh. Yes. Well! I don’t mind all that, I barely want to be the crown prince anyway! Although, I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t interested in where you came from.”

Rose blinked. “You want to know about  _ me?” _

He shrugged, and didn’t seem to know what to do with his hands. “I’ve never seen one of the humans from underground up here before. I’m sure you’ve got loads of stories.”

She furrowed her brows at him. “Well, we don’t have that many stories. We’re not allowed to go anywhere.”

“A name, then?”

“Rose Tyler. I’m a schoolteacher.”

“Bloody good one, by the looks of it. Time Tots never follow their parents around the way those children were following you.”

“I didn’t coerce them!”

“I didn’t say you did!” Prince Theta held up his hands in surrender. “I’m not trying to assume anything or accuse you, I’m interested in where you came from. I would just take you to the dungeon if I wasn’t!”

She supposed he did have a point there. It would’ve been very easy for him to just drag her down into a prison, which was probably underground, but instead he was asking her questions. This was the opening she’d been waiting for.

She deflated a little bit, blowing your cheeks out. “You’re right, I’m sorry.”

“Let’s walk and talk, then! There’s lots to see, and no one will question if you’re with me.”

“And then off to prison?”

“Mm. I’m trying to come up with a solution for that. I don’t want to jail you for this, and I’m brilliant, so by the time we take a walk I’m sure I’ll have come up with something.”

“Brilliant, are you?”

“Oh yes. Top of my class, I was. The added travelling I did in my youth did help, as well. Don’t worry. You’re lucky I found you.”

He was a little cocky, Rose decided, but that didn’t necessarily mean that he was bad or wrong. He seemed to be genuinely interested in where the humans came from, and that was enough for Rose to offer him a tentative hand in trust. 

Prince Theta grinned at her. “Come on, then! Tell me everything. Where do you all come from, what do you do?” 

She laughed. “We’re born there. There’s not a lot more to it than that, to be honest. You sort of have to fit a mold, or else you won’t have a job. Not that having a job even matters because our currency is barely real. Crime is up the further underground you go, but we don’t really have a police force to combat it.” She looked up at him and saw concern written all over his face. “I brought those kids up with me because I want the Gallifreyans and Time Lords to understand what they’re doing to us. All we want to do is leave. Go back to Earth. Go somewhere else.”

“They always tell us there’s no crime underground.”

Rose smiled sadly. “Yeah? I guess that shouldn’t be too surprising. Those who come and check on us probably just want you all to think that we’re having the best time. But we’re glorified prisoners. “

Theta frowned. “Oh… I don’t… I never wanted that.”

She was already a bit distracted, staring up at the sky and not really paying attention to what Theta was saying. It was beautiful. It was blue, but there were hints of gold rippling throughout. Rose watched the light, thin clouds pass over her, and wondered how something so far away could look so close. She reached a hand up but pulled it back quickly, thinking about how foolish she must look.

“Ah… Would you like to sit? The grass is soft and there’s no bugs.” Theta gestured to the ground. Rose looked down at the red grass and smiled a little. She sat down without saying anything, still feeling a little nervous to look at him or say anything more. 

He sat down about two feet away from her, elbows on his knees, and glanced over at her. “I… I don’t want to turn you in,” he said finally, after several moments.

She looked at him and tilted her chin. “Oh, then what do you want to do?”

“I want to help you.”

She blinked. “You what?”

“I want to help you.”

“How are you going to do that?”

He turned to face her. “I don’t know. But I want to see what you all go through. I want to see the underground.”

Rose blinked. “I guess I never thought about you never seeing it. But if I go back down… They won’t let me back up. I don’t want to risk that.”

Theta shook his head. “No, I- I wouldn’t let that happen. But I need to know more.”

Rose stared at him for a moment. This man who didn’t know her even a bit, had only seen her come up from the underground, and yet he was willing to help her. She knew there had to be a catch, there had to be something. She sighed, and tilted her head a little, regarding him carefully. He looked earnest. He looked like he meant it. But she didn’t know him. “I feel like I need to know more, too. Your highness, with all due respect, you could turn on me at any moment. I don’t know you.”

Theta blinked, and for a moment she thought he would get angry at her, but instead he just sighed heavily and nodded. “Well… We’ll have to find a way to trust each other, I suppose. Here, I’ll show you around a bit more.”

Rose nodded and got to her feet, wiping her hands off on her dull skirt. “Fine, then. Show me the rest of Gallifrey. Or, as much as we can cover for now.”

Theta smiled and jumped to his feet. “Brilliant! Come with me, then!” 

Energy firmly back in place, they started walking through the grass, and Rose allowed herself to feel a little hope. She wanted to hope. She wanted to believe that it would turn out alright.

She continued following along with Theta, and while the field they were in was huge, there was still more beyond it. They came over the top of the hill, and from the peak looking down they could see a large city spread out before them. Rose stopped in her tracks, blinking hard. She’d never seen a city from this angle, it had always just been what was right in front of her. It baffled her, in a way, the amount that she had never seen perspective before, really. 

“Wow,” she said softly. Theta watched her from beside her, a slight smile on his face. Experiencing something he’d seen a million times with someone who had never seen it before was a bit enlightening, if he was being honest. 

The city kept with Gallifreyan tradition, as most of the buildings were encompassed in what looked to be glass spheres. The colors were dull, but she couldn’t keep herself from being completely interested. She wanted to know everything.

“What- What is this?” She asked finally.

“It’s called the Citadel. This is where I live, and most of the nobility as well. Past this is where the more middle-class families live, those who are Gallifreyans but aren’t Time Lords.”

“So… This is where the Time Lords live.”

“Yep!”

“And so… You’re a Time Lord.”

“I am. Not allowed to do a whole lot with it though, since they won’t let me off planet anymore.”

Rose looked to her, her eyebrows furrowed. “And why exactly is that?”

He rubbed the back of his neck with his hand, looking a little embarrassed. “I… I have the tendency to interfere in a way that my superiors didn’t want me to. They said it was dangerous, which I suppose it was, but I’ve always wanted to help people. Rassilon, I’m his successor, said that if I was to take his place I’d need to be alive to do so.”

“I suppose that’s fair.”

“Hm.”

“You don’t think so?”

He tilted his head to the side and squinted, considering. “No. Not really. I don’t want to be the crown prince, like I said. I was sort of chosen for this life.”

Rose looked back down at the city, deciding it would be best to change the subject, even if she wanted to press. He probably wouldn’t be willing to tell her much more than this for now, and she was afraid to make him angry. “I’m guessing if I go down there, I’ll be arrested immediately.”

“Not when you’re with me,” Theta crossed his arms over his chest and rocked back on his heels. “Although we would get a lot of questions. There’s a town a little ways away that has some excellent shops. If you’re hungry, we could make a stop there.”

Rose bit her lip. She  _ was  _ feeling a little hungry, and they needed to gain each other’s trust before they could start working on anything that could even constitute an alliance between them. It would be in her best interest to be in his good graces. He’d taken her this far already.

“Sure,” She said finally, “That would be nice.”

He grinned at her and nodded, leading her down from the fields.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Remember when i used to be able to update stories daily??? DAILY???? What was I on?
> 
> Anyways, please enjoy!

Being led into town by the crown prince didn’t garner as much attention as Rose expected that it would. He nodded to a few shopkeepers, but they seemed to be more interested in Rose than him.

“Ah…” he rubbed his hand over the back of his neck and looked at her apologetically, “We should probably get you something to wear so you blend in a little more. The grey… it’s not doing us any favors.”

Rose looked down at her clothes. “But I don’t have anything else. And I don’t have any money.”

He looked at her a bit like she was stupid, and then pointed at himself. “Crown prince.”

“Oh, shut up.”

He took that as a ‘yes’ and grinned widely at her, leading her to a shop that was partially down an alley. Rose recoiled at first, but he didn’t seem nervous and showed no signs of betraying her so far, so she reluctantly followed him in.

It was a cute little place, with dark mahogany furniture and red accents. There were only one or two other people in the store, but the clothes themselves were also impressive to look at, and she instantly knew that even if she lived above ground, what was sold here would never be anything that she was able to afford. She was also starting to wonder if it was possible to overload from just looking at colors for too long.

“Oi! What brings your sorry arse into my shop, your highness?” A redheaded woman called out from behind the counter, hands on her hips as she scowled at Theta. Rose balked. Was she allowed to talk to the Prince of Gallifrey like that?  
“Donna! I’ve got a new friend for you to meet. Want to quit hiding behind the counter?”

“I’m not hiding, I’m doing my job. Something I pray to the gods you’ll eventually be decent at.”

He had the good sense to look a little wounded at her comment. “Now, come on, I’m just trying to give you business.”

The woman sighed, and did come out from behind the counter to approach him. “Well, sweetheart, if you are his friend, you’d better watch out. This one’s got a huge nose for trouble.” She extended her hand. “Donna Noble, it’s a pleasure to meet you.”

“Rose Tyler.” 

They shook hands and Rose was left having to bite back more and more questions. Was this woman Gallifreyan? Was she a Time Lady? Rose had never heard of the Gallifreyans speaking casually to one another, and here a shop lady was speaking casually to the  _ prince?  _ She wasn’t sure the books they were forced to read did justice to the people here at all.

“I can see why his highness brought you in here, Rose, your clothes are a little… Drab. If you don’t mind me saying.”

Rose looked down at herself again. “No, I don’t mind, it’s… True.”

Donna set about picking out a new set of clothes for Rose then, and Rose, who had absolutely no input to speak of since she’d never seen such colorful clothing before, simply sat down on an ottoman and watched the woman work. She jerked in surprise when Theta plopped down next to her.

“I’ve known Donna forever,” he confided, leaning towards her a little bit. “Childhood friends, us! They were going to matchmake us but we both put up such a fuss that the Council decided it wasn’t worth it.”

Rose laughed at that. “So you don’t get your own choice?”

“Mm… I do, in a way. I have a voice, but ultimately if there’s someone Rassilon likes that he wants to rule with me, then that’s who I have to marry.” He extended his legs, scuffing his heels along the floor. “What about you? Is there a Mr. Rose Tyler back home?” He was being a little too casual about asking, and Rose wasn’t necessarily sure what that meant.

“Well. Um. No.” 

“That’s it? No, really, somebody must be chasing after you.”

Her cheeks colored pink and she looked away from him. “Well, not to my knowledge. There’s not a lot of time to date where… Where I’m from,” she covered up, just in case anyone was listening to them. She could only assume that since he hadn’t told Donna where she was from, Theta thought it safer to keep her identity a secret for now. That was fine by her.

“I’m a teacher,” she continued, “So by the time I get out of school I want to go right home.”

He hummed. “I suppose that’s fair. Still,” he lifted a shoulder, “Must be lonely.”

She turned where she sat to face him head-on. “Are you speaking from experience?”

Dark eyes settled on her, and for a moment she lost her breath at the sadness in them. “You have no idea.”

Before Rose could ask anything else, Donna swept back over. She was holding a simple red rob that cinched at the waist with a golden belt. It looked like it would fit loosely everywhere  _ except  _ the waist, and it had charming golden details around the hem of the skirt and the sleeves. 

“Oh… Oh, that’s beautiful,” she said, reaching out to touch the fabric but then wrenching her hand back. 

“No, go on, try it,” Theta nudged her shoulder. “It’s for you.”

Rose blinked. She still wasn’t sure she quite believed that Theta was going to buy her beautiful, expensive clothes just so she could fit in, but to wear something so extravagant… She at least wanted to try it on, even if the dream would be ripped from her.

“Come on, then, there’s a room back here where you can change. We’ll have to get you out of those old things no matter what.” Donna smiled at her and helped her up off the ottoman. Without meaning to, Rose grinned back. 

Donna led Rose to the back of the store. “I’ll just wait here while you try it on.”

Rose nodded and went through the curtain into the rather large dressing room. She found herself staring at her reflection in the mirror. She looked scared and out of place with the finery around her, and taking the opportunity to look at her clothes, she could see why it would be something that would stand out. Her plain grey dress may be the standard fare underground, but here? There would be no mistaking her for a Gallifreyan. 

She started to undress and heard Donna ask her a question from outside.  
“How’d you end up with Theta, anyways?”

She didn’t call him ‘Prince’ at all, Rose noticed. “We… Bumped into each other, when I first arrived here,” She said, wincing before reminding herself that that’s not a total lie. “He said he’d show me around, since I’m visiting and don’t know anything around here well.”

Donna snorted. “Well, much as I hate to admit it, you ran into the perfect person. Not only can that man get you into every exclusive place on the map, he’s also got the bug for travel, so he knows the entirety of this place inside out.”

“Yeah, I got the idea that he doesn’t want to be the prince,” Rose admitted, settling the crimson garment over her shoulders before fumbling along with the belt.

Donna sighed quietly. “No, no he doesn’t. But he’ll still be a great leader. That big fool can’t do anything without doing it full out. It’s a blessing and a curse, I think. That’s probably why he was so eager to help you. Well, that, and you’re a beautiful young woman. Gallifrey has plenty of those and none of them have interested him so far.”

Rose’s hands faltered at Donna’s words. “That’s- that doesn’t mean anything at all! He’s just helping me out, really.”

“For now. Don’t blame me if he ends up falling in love with you, he already seems  _ very  _ interested in you.”

Rose felt her cheeks burn. It wouldn’t do her any good to let Donna’s words get to her. Theta seemed ‘interested’ in her because she offered helpful and interesting information about a new place, and according to Donna and Theta himself, new places were very much his favorite thing. That didn’t mean anything! She forced herself to laugh before the silence became palpable.

“I really doubt it. That’s kind of you to say, though.”

She looked at herself in the mirror, marvelling at how tiny her waist appeared with the billowing fabric both over and under the belt. She smiled a little. Red looked good on her, complimenting her pale skin and the gold looking almost as if it had been brought out from her eyes.

Red was pretty.

She’d never  _ really  _ known that before.

She pulled back the curtain and looked at Donna. “Will I do?”

“Oh,  _ will  _ you, those robes were made for you!” Donna clapped her hands. “Let me see if I can swindle that dusty prince out of a little more credits to get you some accessories.”

They headed back across the store and Rose pretended not to notice that Theta’s jaw loosened a little bit when he saw them. He got to his feet, still staring.

“Rose. You look-”

“Like she could use a headpiece, your highness,” Donna offered sweetly.

Theta’s attention snapped back to Donna and he laughed out loud. “Well, alright. I suppose since you’re taking the time out of your _clearly busy_ day, I can line your pockets some more.”  
“What else am I supposed to do with your friendship, if not exploit it?” Donna teased.

Eventually, Rose settled on a pretty gold chain that rested atop her head, with a tiny, cloudy gem hanging down between her brows. Donna secured it in place and smiled at her own work. “Yep. I definitely would’ve remembered seeing you around here before. You’re beautiful.”

Rose noticed that Theta didn’t say anything, but then again, she wasn’t sure she wanted him to. He took what appeared to be just a stick (what Rose assumed held credits) and passed it over to Donna.

“I’ll pay you back someday,” she said earnestly, grabbing his arm.

He looked down at her, startled. “Nah, don’t do that! Think of this as your welcome gift! Erm, welcome to Gallifrey, that is.”

She let go of him and nodded a little, still feeling unsure. Her stomach growled and she placed a hand over it, blushing.

Theta laughed. “I did promise I would get you something to eat, too. Well, in the case you’re ever in this area again, you can always come and see Donna. She’s just about adopted you, I think.”

Rose smiled a little, but she wasn’t sure what to think of that concept. ‘Should she ever return’. Should she ever return because soon she’d be escorted back through here to be sent back down below? Or because… She was a citizen? She shook her head, dismissing that thought immediately.  _ That  _ was an impossibility, and she’d do well to remember that.

Donna returned and gave Theta his credit stick back. “Well. Don’t be strangers. You know where I am.”

“Never. Thank you, Donna.” Theta shot her a charming smile that just made her roll her eyes.

“Yeah, thank you so much,” Rose said, hoping her voice sounded as genuine as she felt. 

Donna smiled at her, eyes soft. “Of course, dear.”

They left then, and Theta led her back up the alley and back into the main roads. “Ah, now that people will quit staring at you, we should find something to eat.”

Rose was having trouble keeping herself focused. There were so many questions she had, and she wasn’t sure where to start. The people bustling around her were staring at her less, but she was admittedly still staring quite openly at them. Her clothes were beautiful, but many other peoples’ were gaudy in comparison, and she was glad that Donna had picked something that was so tame. She grabbed Theta’s arm, trying to keep up with his long strides and not lose him in the crowd, completely missing the surprised look he was giving her. 

She looked around as they walked along and was suddenly hit with the smell of something meaty and savory, her mouth watering. “Do you smell that?”

“Yeah.”

“I want whatever that is.”

Theta laughed, guiding her towards the stall where the smell was originating from. “Those are meat pies, but let me tell you, they’re the best in the city. You’ve got a good nose on you, Rose Tyler.”

She decided that if the worst happened from today, whatever happened  _ right now,  _ the food she ate and the clothes she wore…

She deserved to enjoy it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please review?


	4. Chapter 4

They sat across from each other at a place that served what appeared to be a meat stew, and while it could be considered plain, Rose discovered that it was more rich in flavor then anything else she’d ever eaten below ground, and she was sure it showed. 

“So, I’d like to show you to the palace now.”

Rose choked. “I think that might be a bad idea.”

“Well, you want to experience everything, I can see it in you,” Theta leaned on the table, and Rose leaned back. “And that’s the last thing to show you.”

“Really? The last thing to show you on the whole planet?” Rose crossed her arms over her chest. “Dunno about that one, your highness.”  
Theta scrunched up his nose at her, defeated. “Fine. I may have an ulterior motive in showing you the palace.”

Rose narrowed her eyes at him. It occurred to her that the prince’s kindness would have eventually run out, but she didn’t expect it to happen that fast. “What exactly do you mean like that?”

“Well, I’m going to show you where I live,  _ how  _ I live. And then…”

Her eyes grew wide as she realized what he was going to ask her to do. “Oh. No. No, you can’t come to the underground.”  
“Why not?” he almost whined.

“Because you’ll leave me down there!” She cried, “Because I know that you’ll just make me take you on a tour and then you’ll dump me off, right back where I started. And then I’ll have come all this way for nothing.” She slumped over a little bit. “I can’t go back to those kids offering anything but freedom.”

Theta blinked. “That wasn’t my plan at all!”

“Then what  _ was  _ the plan?” Rose crossed her arms over her chest. “How could I benefit from taking you to the underground?”

Theta started gesturing with his hands, as though he was painting a picture with his gestures. “No! I’ll- I’ll give you my key to the underground, that way I’ll have no way to have administrative access, and you’ll have all my power with it. So, I can’t leave without you.”

Rose bit her lip. There was a chance that he was bluffing, that he didn’t have a sort of master key. There was a  _ chance,  _ yes. But there was something deep in his eyes that made her want to believe him. He’d never asked to be the prince, in fact, all signs pointed to him not wanting to be the prince at all. 

“So you show me how you live, and I show you how I live, and then what?”

“We come to a compromise, and we take it to Rassilon. Find a way to benefit the humans and the Gallifreyans. Honestly, anything could benefit the humans at this point, but I’m not sure the Gallifreyans deserve anymore laughs.”

Rose snorted.

“Ah-ha! Did I just get you to laugh?”  
“No.”

“Yes I did, you laughed.”

“I did not.”

He grinned at her, leaning farther forward. “You know, you have a nice smile.”

She felt heat color her cheeks and she looked down. “Thanks.” 

A hush fell over them for a moment, and Theta leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms over his chest. “So? What do you think?”

“I- I think it might work,” she said, picking at her stew. “If you promise-”

“Rose. I’ll need you to trust me.”

She wasn’t sure she wanted to do that. But something about him made her want to trust him, however warily. She finally nodded slowly. “Fine. But if you do anything that I think is suspicious, we rework the deal.  _ You  _ stand to gain something from this that I don’t.”

“What’s that?”

“Slaves.”

Theta’s face went completely white. “No. Nothing like that will be tolerated as long as I can help it. If you don’t believe anything else I say, believe that.”

_ True.  _ She could tell, right off the bat, that he was serious. She looked down into her bowl, not wanting to say anything else to make him upset. “Fine. Then, yeah. I’ll do it. I’ll take you underground.”

“Brilliant!” he cheered up immediately. “Now, come on, then, off to the palace with us!”

They ended up taking a carriage, which, since Rose had never been in before, effectively blew her mind. She stared out at the world passing them, almost pressing her nose to the glass of the window. Of course, the only way to get anywhere was to walk, and it wasn’t like there was that much space anyways.

“What do you think of Gallifrey, then?” Theta said suddenly, and Rose realized that he’d probably been watching her. She cleared her throat and sat back in her seat. 

“It’s beautiful,” she said. “I just don’t… I’ve never seen somewhere that’s so open, it’s a lot.”

“Yeah, I can imagine,” Theta said, watching her carefully. “I don’t know what I’d do if my life got turned upside down like this.”

“Well, you said you didn’t want to be the prince, but you are,” Rose pointed out.

Theta made a noise in the back of his throat and lifted his shoulder. “I mean… Yes. But I didn’t have to change too much about how I lived my life. And coming up from the underground is completely different. You’d never seen the sky.”

Rose crossed her arms. “I know. I just… I’d always seen pictures, but it’s different to see it in person. I’d never hoped to, but…” She leaned across the carriage, forcing him to look at her. “I don’t want to go back there. I don’t want any more kids to grow up there. We’re separated and isolated for no reason just because we’re human, because we’re a different species from you, and there’s  _ enough  _ of that.”

Theta stared at her, his eyes earnest. “I know,” he said softly, “I’d like to change that. I want to fix it.”  
“I’m lucky you’re the one that found me, then,” she admitted. “You definitely have the most influence here.”

“You’re lucky you didn’t run into Rassilon. He’s got quite the temper on his own, but I’m fairly confident that I can get to him.”  
Rose cocked her head. “You do?”

“Yes.”

She leaned back into her seat, feeling like she was too close to him all of a sudden. ”Good. I’m glad.”

“You said you were a teacher. How long?” 

Rose blinked. She hadn’t been expecting him to try to carry on the conversation. She laced her fingers together in her lap. “Since I turned seventeen.”

“That’s rather young for a human,” he said curiously. “Why so young?”

“I had to. I was almost done with school and I didn’t want to do anything else. Plus, if you work more you can get extra perks and authorizations.”

He seemed surprised. “So not… Not all civilians are on the same level?”

“No. It kinda depends on your ambition, but a lot of people don’t have that, because there’s no hope,” Rose looked up at the roof of the carriage. “What’s the point of working hard if you’ll never get to anything better?”  
“You don’t seem to share that sentiment.”

Her eyes slid over to him. “Cause I’m foolish enough to believe that hope is something you can hang your hat on.”

***************

They finally made it to the palace, which was bookended with huge with circular turrets and sphere domes atop them. Architecturally, it was beautiful, but Rose had never seen a building so huge, and it was daunting.

“I’d rather not bring you to Rassilon right away,” Theta chatted away, bursting through her thoughts. “So, instead, I’d like to take you to the gardens. You seemed to like the outdoors quite a bit.”

“Well, yeah.”

He laughed. “Sorry.”

The gardens were beautiful. They were nothing like the ‘outdoor’ sections of the underground. The wind that touched her skin was cool, and the flowers looked brighter under real sunlight. They were taller too, and she felt like they could either support her or swallow her whole, and she wasn’t sure which she would prefer. She could feel Theta watching her, and couldn’t help but feel like he was too interested in her reactions to things. She frowned at him, but he just grinned back at her. 

“It’s beautiful,” she finally said, “Thank you for showing me.”

“Of course,” He jammed his hands into pockets she hadn’t known he’d had before. “This is my favorite part of the palace, you know. I think it’s the most peaceful.”

As they walked along, they came across a large white marble bench, and Rose sat down on it, feeling a bit overwhelmed. The fact that she’d made it, that she’d actually gotten to the surface, like she had always planned to do, almost made her head feel like it was too heavy for her body. She tipped her head back and stared up at the sky, watching the clouds pass overhead. 

“I feel like there’s so much I missed out on,” She whispered. Theta sat next to her, watching her face, clearly waiting for her to speak, but said nothing. She wasn’t sure why she actually trusted him, but he’d gotten her somehow, so she sighed and continued.

“In textbooks of Gallifrey, there are pictures of kids running around in the grass, and the toys they played with, and all this… Stuff I never felt, never got to experience. There’s so much of it.” She looked down at her hands. “I don’t have calluses from playing outside. I don’t have my paintings up on my mum’s walls.”

Theta laid his hand, turned up, next to hers on his knee. “Neither do I,” he whispered.

It occurred to her, then, that perhaps they weren’t so different after all. She glanced at him, dark eyes searching hers and waiting for something. She was waiting too.

What was she waiting for?

She didn’t mean to, but she settled her palm over his, and their fingers laced together as easy as breathing. “You’re lonely,” she whispered finally.

“Being crown prince… No one wants to risk a friendship,” he laughed, but it was hollow. “So are you.”

“I’m not lonely.”

“You are. I see it.” With the hand not holding hers, he touched under her eye with his pointer finger. “I see it right  _ here.  _ How often do you sleep, Rose?”

“I sleep when I need to.”

“Mm. Humans need 8 hours. I’d wager you don’t get that.”

She sighed heavily, looking down at their hands, together. She’d never held hands with anyone before. “There’s no reason to sleep when you live a life that’s meaningless anyway.”  
“You teach the future.”

“There _is_ no future.” She released his hand and got to her feet, crossing her arms. “For those kids, for me, for anyone. There’s no future. And it’s _horrible,_ your highness, to wake up every day and know that there’s nothing beyond your front door that means anything, that when you turn to dust no one will remember you. It’s horrible.”  
“I can’t imagine how you must feel,” He said slowly, like he was talking to a spooked horse. “I want… I do want to help. I hope you’ll believe I’m honest.”

“I do,” She said, perhaps too fast. She glanced over her shoulder at him. Eyes like that didn’t lie. “I don’t know why I do. But I do.”

He grinned at her. “Brilliant. Why don’t I show you to your room so you can get some rest?”

Upstairs, Theta showed her the biggest bedroom she’d ever seen. “This is where you’ll stay while you’re here,” he told her, gesturing. “There’s extra nightclothes and things here, stocked up. You should be fine.”  
“If there’s clothes here, why did you take me to Donna’s shop?” She asked.

“Well, you needed something right then, you looked suspicious. Plus, I thought you might like Donna.”  
He was right about that, at least. She walked over the dark red wood chest of drawers, running her fingers over it. She suddenly felt exhausted, a hand pressed to her head. Theta was at her side in a moment, hand on her elbow.

“Are you alright?” He asked earnestly.

“Yeah, m’fine, I just feel a little tired.”

“Well, big day,” he said softly. “Maybe you should rest for awhile, I can come get you when it’s time for dinner.”

Rose nodded. “Okay.”

“Alright! Have a nice nap.” He sprang away from her and left the room. Rose laughed a little, and just because she was still uncertain of her surroundings, locked the bedroom door. She found a light nightgown in the dresser and opted to change, not wanting to wrinkle the nice clothes. Those she laid out on the chair by the bed to put on again later. 

Everything here was the nicest she’d ever seen, and when she crawled into bed, sighing softly at the way the mattress seemed to hug her, she succumbed to sleep almost immediately.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have NO excuse for a month between updates. I'm so sorry.

Rose woke up confused, feeling more comfort than she ever had before, and she sat up quickly, feeling wrapped up in unfamiliar sheets in an unfamiliar bed. She felt herself panting and looked around before remembering where she was. She’d made it. She was above ground. Blowing out her cheeks, she flopped back onto the bed. There was no clock on the bedside table, so she wasn’t sure how long she’d been sleeping. But she felt safe now that she was awake. 

She laid there, staring up at the ceiling. She was going to meet Rassilon, King of Gallifrey. And he was probably going to kill her. And if she survived that, she’d take Theta down to the underground. She shook her head against the pillows. No, that wasn’t how it could go. She had to do something else. It had to go the other way. She had to take him to the underground first, and then they would talk to Rassilon. Theta would have more to fight for, more to say, after he’d seen everything. She’d tell him that, too, when he came back. She sighed and sat up, running a hand through her tangled hair. The nap she’d taken had been a powerful one. 

However, she couldn’t sleep anymore. She got up, swinging her legs over the edge of the bed and staring in the mirror that was over the dresser. She didn’t look  _ too  _ bad, she supposed. Heaving a heavy sigh, she got up and changed back into the clothes she’d been in before, pausing to look at herself closer in the mirror. She liked seeing the sun come in from the window and touch her cheek, almost like it was caressing her with gentle fingers. She found herself smiling a little at herself. She didn’t even know what the best case scenario was for this, but she’d made it this far, so she could certainly be proud of herself. 

A knock at her door startled her, and she tried to calm her heart as she unlocked the door to see Theta beaming at her. 

“It’s been an hour and a half. I see that’s been enough time for a nap,” he grinned, rocking back on his heels.

“Yeah… Look, I think we need to rearrange some things.”

The smile slipped off his face. “What is it?”

“I don’t think it’s a good idea for me to meet Rassilon yet,” she said carefully. “Your words will hold more weight with him. If you come down to the underground, and see how miserable the humans are… Your testimony of us will be more valuable to him.”

Theta gazed at her thoughtfully. “You don’t want to speak to him.”

She shook her head. “Not without your backup. That wouldn’t be very smart.”

He tilted his head, seeming to consider this. “Well… I’ll admit I’d like to talk to Rassilon as soon as possible, but! You may have a point. That would be an awful lot like presenting research with no evidence, huh?” 

She bit her lip. “Yeah, a bit.”

“Well then. I’ll say I’ve taken ill, and we can have dinner in my chambers a little later on. “And then… Well, I may be the crown prince, but I still do a fair bit of sneaking around.”

She felt her lip twitch against her will. “Have you ever been caught?”

He leaned against the door frame, tipping his head down towards her. “Oh, once or twice, but not in centuries.”

“Nah, centuries?”

“Last time I got caught I was two hundred, barely out of the cradle.”  
Rose laughed. “Okay, so you want to go on an adventure before I take you to the underground.”

He nodded, light dancing in his eyes. “Yes, I do. I think it might be good for me to see something like that from your eyes. Life is- was, I should say, dull before you appeared. I’m not allowed to do much, not since I was crowned.”

She cocked her head to the side. “So what do you want to do?”  
He smiled. “Well, we could go to the shops, or… Oh! There’s a play tonight, I heard some people talking about it a while back.” 

“A play?” 

“Yes! Have you ever been to one?”

“No, we don’t perform in the underground. We’ve… We read about the Gallifreyan ones, in school. I have the kids read them aloud.”

“But you’ve never  _ seen  _ a play.”

“I haven’t.”

“Ah! Well, come on, let’s go do that! We’ll have dinner in my chambers, and then we’ll go! I’ll have tickets secured for us, what do you say?”

Rose found something blooming in her chest. Could it be… Hope? She smiled a little, nodding. “Okay. I’d like that.”

“Brilliant! I’ll come fetch you for dinner, don’t worry about anything else.”

“And until then?”  
“Ah. I’m afraid you’ll have to stay here,” he rubbed the back of his neck and smiled a little sheepishly at her. “I have to tell a couple white lies to Rassilon to free me up for the night.”

She laughed a little. “Okay. I’ll be here.”  
He clapped his hands together, the spark of excitement lighting him up again. “Alright! I’ll be back, then.”

He disappeared down the hallway, and Rose laughed, shutting and locking the door again. She knew it probably wouldn’t do well for anyone to catch her here, especially if the crown prince wasn’t supposed to have any company, or actually go anywhere. She almost wondered if he wasn’t just as much of a prisoner as she was, just in a different way.

She wandered over to the window, peering out over the gardens. It was different to see them from up here, too, and she smiled a little. Outside. That was outside. Something she’d never thought she’d ever  _ get  _ to see. She wasn’t sure she deserved it, that people like Martha weren’t up here experiencing it with her. That the kids she taught weren’t getting to see the sky.

Guilt settled over her. If she couldn’t fix this for the humans, if she couldn’t get the Gallifreyans to set them free… They would think that she’d just come up here on vacation, and for no other reason. She frowned to herself. She’d never live it down if she couldn’t make this happen. 

Closing her eyes, she leaned her elbows onto the windowsill, staring. It felt like it went on forever, she could see the curve of the planet, just a little. Everything had always been so… Flat. Nothing had ever looked like this, not at home. Just watching the clouds pass over the gardens felt magical. She had lots of questions for Theta, about his childhood, about life above ground… Questions she could never ask. Not really. He was sort of an enigma, she had a feeling he’d never give her a straight answer.

She stared off, daydreaming, and wondering what she was going to  _ do  _ to make things right, another knock sounded at her door. She almost forgot to answer, because the twin suns were starting to dip over the horizon.

“It’s me,” Theta’s voice came from the other side of the door. She shook herself and unlocked the door for him and opened it before going right back to the windowsill. She leaned up against it, staring out.  
“What is it?” He asked, coming in behind her, shutting the door softly behind him. “Is someone out there?”  
“No, it’s the sunset. Suns set? Sunsets?” She grinned over her shoulder at him when she heard him laugh.

“I guess I never thought about you not seeing one before.” He came and stood behind her, chin near her head.

“It’s pretty,” She replied lamely, though ‘pretty’ didn’t even begin to cover it. The colors that danced across the sky were ones she’d never seen before, and she couldn’t bring herself to take her eyes off them. “It’s just… I’ve never seen colors blend like that before.”

“I suppose I tend to take things for granted.” His voice was soft, and very close to her ear. “I never considered… Being underground for so long, you can’t even simulate things like this.”

“You can try,” Rose said softly. “But… From what I’ve seen, it’s never worked. There are just some things that are too fantastic to replicate.”

He huffed out a laugh. “You know, I think you might be right about that one.” 

They were quiet for a moment, just watching the sunset together. 

“I think… I feel like I should apologize,” Theta said softly, after a few long moments.

Rose bit her lip but didn’t turn to look at him. “Why do you think that?” She asked.

“I’m the crown prince. It’s basically my family, for lack of a better word, that did this to you. To all of you.”

“Yeah. But you didn’t do it.”

“I know, but-”

She turned over her shoulder, peering up into dark eyes the pierced right back into hers. “You didn’t do it. You’re trying to make it right. You didn’t send me right back down that elevator, and that’s good enough for me.”  
He pursed his lips, staring back down at her. “You’re a prisoner.”

“Not right at this moment, no.”

“But for your whole life-”

“If you fixate on the past, your highness, I don’t think you’ll ever live a truly happy life.” She turned back to the sunset. “If you don’t do something with what you’re given, it makes you no better than me, and all the humans that live underground.”

“I don’t think I’m better than you,” he said softly.

She smiled a little. “That’s kind of nice to hear.”

They fell into silence as the room got dark around them, and Theta heaved a huge sigh behind her, shuffling his feet a little. “Well, dinner is back in my room. It should still be warm. We’ll have to be quick.”

Rose felt her heart skip a little at the idea of danger, even though it probably wasn’t  _ that  _ dangerous. She looked up at him. “Okay.”

They rushed over to his chambers, giggling breathlessly by the time they were inside. A dinner was set up for the two of them in front of an enormous bed, a collapsable table and chairs set up.

“How did you get them to serve you dinner for two people?” Rose asked, furrowing her brows.

“I just asked for two portions. I’ve done it before.”  
“How are you so skinny then?” 

He just pouted at her, and she laughed again. She dared, just for a moment, to let herself think that things might turn out alright. Prince Theta could be her key to her life changing, and for the first time, she let herself have a good feeling about it.


	6. Chapter 6

Dinner was just as fantastic as lunch, and Rose almost wondered if she was getting spoiled with the whole thing. Theta was an engaging dinner partner as well, asking her lots of questions about the underground. He seemed very interested in her job with teaching the children.

“You must be quite knowledgeable, then,” he said, leaning forward.

“Yeah, I suppose,” Rose said, looking down. His eye contact was almost a bit too much for her- intense and unblinking. “I have to take refresher courses every couple of years as well, just to make sure I’m teaching everything the way I’m supposed to. There are mandates, and ways that everything is supposed to go.”

“I think it’s much the same for teachers here,” Theta said. “There’s an order to everything on Gallifrey.”

“There’s an order to everything  _ under  _ Gallifrey as well,” Rose pointed out. “There are so many rules. So many things that we only know because everyone up here tells us how to live our lives.”

Theta’s face fell a little. He seemed to take full responsibility for things Rassilon said, things that weren’t his fault. The microexpressions on his face told Rose everything she needed to know about him without him saying anything at all. 

She was tired talking about it, though. She felt like she’d said enough, told him enough, and she was curious. She leaned forward over the table. “So what’s this play we’re seeing?”

He beamed at her. “It’s a classic. Think of Earth’s Shakespeare, do you study Shakespeare.”

“It’s required. Are we seeing a Shakespeare then?”

He shook his head, leaning back in his chair a little. “No, it’s a traditional Gallifreyan play. And I got us box seats.”

“On such short notice?” She furrowed her brows. “Aren’t the tickets for plays sold in advance?”

He grinned at her, and she thought he looked a bit cocky, but it certainly wasn’t unwarranted. “I’m the crown prince.”  
She felt a light blush color her cheeks, feeling a little stupid for not thinking about that sooner. “Oh,” she said softly, letting herself laugh a little. “If we’re up high, no one will see me then?”

“Probably not. Even if they do, it’s not that big of a deal. People know better than to interrogate me about my company.”

Rose raised her eyebrows at him. “Oh? You keep company with a lot of young women, then?”

She said it teasingly, but his eyes flicked around the room uncertainly. “Um. No, not a lot. I suppose I was a bit wilder in my younger days though.”

“And how old are you?” Rose asked. It seemed she couldn’t stop asking him questions.

“I’m five hundred and twelve,” he said, poking at his dinner and not looking at her. “Is that alright?”

“Yeah. I expected you’d be quite old,” she said.

“Oi! I’m not old! I’m not even middle age.”

She giggled and tapped her temple. “I know. I’ve studied you, remember?”

He smiled a little sheepishly at her. “Oh, well. I suppose I forgot.”

************

Rose was nervous going out at night, but Theta let her hold his arm, and gave her a gold chain to wear around her neck. When she’d looked at him curiously, question in her eyes, he’d shrugged, and rubbed the back of his neck.

“It’s… It’ll make you look a little fancier. We don’t have time to get you any more new outfits.”

She smiled a little. “I’m not asking you to.”

“I know! I just wanted to make it clear.”

The theatre was in a part of the town she’d never been to before.They were close enough, Theta had explained, that they could walk. The palace was at the center of a lot of the entertainment in the city. And since it was dark, she didn’t really have to worry too much about people seeing her and asking her questions. But it seemed that the Gallifreyans were more worried about themselves than looking at the blonde girl hanging off the prince. Though, with his muted robes, no one seemed to be looking at him either. Rose glanced up at his face a few times as they walked, noting how sharp his eyes were. He always seemed to be looking out for something to go wrong, and his jaw was clenched. It was clear that this was something he’d done before, and worried about before. 

“Are there…” Rose cleared her throat. “There was an assassination attempt, about two hundred years ago. I’ve read about it, we teach it in the school. Do you worry about that, still?”

He glanced down at her, surprised. “A bit, I suppose. I’m concerned someone will try to kill me to get to Rassilon. I think it’s a rational fear.”  
“Oh, no! I didn’t mean to suggest that it wasn’t. You just looked on edge.”

“Mm. I don’t mean to be. Not on your first night being out on a town!” he turned a million watt smile on her and she couldn’t help but return it.

They entered a huge playhouse, and once they stepped over the threshold, Rose felt her jaw drop. The building was disgustingly ornate, with gold and red dripping from almost everything, and it was  _ beautiful.  _ Rose clutched Theta’s arm a little tighter, staring up at the paintings on the ceiling. 

“I’ve seen pictures,” she said softly. “It’s nothing like the real thing. Nothing at all.”

If she’d looked, she would’ve seen Theta regarding her with a fond glance. He was living through her, in a way, seeing all the wonderful things he’d grown up around, but for the first time, again. Rose’s fingernails dug into his arm through his robes as they moved through the lobby, pushing past other patrons. A few people recognized Theta and stopped him, and he obliged every person who struck up a conversation with him. For the most part, they ignored her. A few of the women who talked to him glanced her way, disapprovingly, and she had sort of a feeling she knew what that was about. Since he wasn’t introducing her though, they seemed to respect that he wasn’t going to tell them who she was. 

“Well, it’s been lovely chatting,” Theta beamed at the last woman, who had flirted a little incessently, “But, as much as I am a man of the people, we’ve got to get up to our box.”

He led her up a set of golden stairs to their box, off to the side to the right of the stage. Rose watched all the people below, as they milled about and found their seats, chatting animatedly with one another. She’d never seen so many people in one place before, even the school never got this full. She placed her hands on the railing of the box and peered over the edge. 

“Your people really love you,” she said, watching one of the people she recognized from the lobby.

“I suppose,” Theta lifted his shoulder. “I’ve tried pretty hard to be a favorable prince. Kindness is key.”

“I’ve read that Rassilon is… Harsh.”

“He is. He means well, for the most part. He’s just a bit odd.” Theta laughed a little. “But, he practically raised me, so I probably understand him a lot better than anyone else who’s trying to decipher the things he says.”

Rose turned back to him. “Despite everything, despite all the trouble he gives you, you still love him, huh?”

Theta lifted a shoulder and took a seat. “I suppose. Do you have any family, Rose?”

She sat next to him, marvelling at how comfortable the plush red chair was. She shifted around a little bit, leaning back against the high backed chair. “Well, yeah. Just my mum, though. My dad died when I was a baby, and my mom never remarried, so I don’t have any other siblings.”

“I’m sorry to hear that.”

“Mm. It’s okay. I never really knew him, so I can’t really miss him.” She wasn’t looking at him, more looking out at the theatre and embracing how wonderful everything around her was. She’d never been in a building so huge. She tilted her head back, looking up at the ceiling. It was painted, and looked incredibly old. “Do you ever feel like the ceiling will just fall down on you?”  
“Ah… No, I can’t say I have.”

“Any building, in the underground. It’s all connected, all solid. So, I could just-” She reached up, mimicking fingertips brushing a ceiling. “So i just… It makes me feel small.”

“Are you okay?” Theta turned his body towards her, a hand on her arm. “If you’re feeling overwhelmed, we can-”

“No,” Rose turned to look at him. “I think it’s good to feel small. Make yourself remember that you’re not the most important thing in the universe.”

“I think…” He took a deep breath through his nose, glancing towards the crowd below them and then back at her. “I think you’ve felt small your whole life. You deserve to feel something else.”

Rose felt her own gaze soften, and she smiled a little. “That’s very kind of you to say. I’d like… I’d like to earn that feeling, though.”

“You risked your life to come up to the surface. You didn’t know what would happen. What anyone who saw you would do. But you did it anyway.” Theta seemed suddenly earnest, his grip tightening on her arm. “I think you have more of an adventurer’s spirit than I do.”

“You’ve had hundreds of years to travel, so I highly doubt that,” Rose laughed. “I’d like to go off world someday, though.”

“You mentioned going back to Earth?”

“Yeah. But there are other places to go too. I just don’t know where home is yet. I just know it’s not anything that’s down there.”

Theta opened his mouth to say something, but the lights went down and the curtains on the stage pulled back. Rose’s attention wasn’t on him even a little anymore, as she looked away from him and leaned forward in her seat. Theta smiled a little at her, and turned back to the stage as well.

It was a classic Gallifreyan play, and if it held some similarities to Hamlet, Rose didn’t say anything. She was enraptured. Reading the words on the page (and she  _ had  _ read this play, she had informed Theta excitedly) had  _ nothing  _ on seeing everything on the page. It was  _ beautiful.  _ The lighting, the glittering costumes…. Rose did feel overwhelmed then, but not enough to make her want to leave. Instead it felt exhilarating, and she wanted more of it. More culture, more experiences. After seeing this, she knew that going back underground wouldn’t be an option. 

After the play was over, Rose had plenty of questions for Theta, and she quizzed him all the way back to the palace. 

“Amazing! The way they do everything, they really bring the words to life.” She beamed up at him. “Brilliant. How do you not see these every night?”

He laughed. “Believe me, it gets boring.”

“I can’t… I know it’s where I live, but I don’t want to go to the underground tomorrow.” She felt herself sobering a little. 

He squeezed her arm. “If I have anything to say about it, you won’t have to stay down there.”

By the time they got back to the palace, no one was about, and it was easy to sneak Rose back up to the guest room. They’d ended up holding hands somewhere along the way, and Theta swung their arms between them, making her laugh a little. She turned when they reached her door, looking back to grin up at him.

“Thank you,” Rose said softly. “You didn’t have to do all this for me, tonight.”

“No, I didn’t,” Theta admitted. “I wanted to.” His eyes softened, and the look confused Rose. She’d never seen someone look at her that way. She cocked her head to the side. 

“What is it?” She asked him.

“Nothing,” He shook his head, but didn’t let go of her hand. “It’s just… All this time, I’ve imagined what the humans in the Underground were like and… You’ve surpassed every expectation I could’ve had.”

She blushed under his heavy gaze, uncertain on what the fluttering feeling in her stomach was. “Well, you’ll meet a million just like me tomorrow.”

He lifted his other hand, and tucked her hair behind her ear. “I don’t think I’ll meet anyone else quite like you.”

She smiled up at him. “That’s kind of you.”

“I mean it.”

Rose squeezed his hand and removed hers, bowing her head slightly. “Goodnight then. Wake me when we should get a move on.”

He took the cue, stepping back from her and offering a tight smile. “Of course. See you in the morning.”  
She disappeared into the door, leaning back on it as she closed it. She had a _lot_ to process before the morning.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> two updates in one month???? Look at me!
> 
> Hope you all enjoy!

Despite wanting to stay up and go over a mental plan for the next morning, ROse fell asleep pretty much the second she crawled into bed. It was the most comfortable bed she’d ever been in, she felt like the soft mattress swallowed her up, cradling her gently. 

She woke up to a gentle knock at the door. She jerked a little, sitting up and calling out a stuttering, “Come in” without thinking much of it.

Theta poked his head in, and instantly turned his eyes upward. “Ah, I didn’t know you weren’t awake! Sorry!” 

“No, it’s okay.” Rose was a bit nonplussed about the situation, since she knew there was nothing inappropriate about it. She swung her legs over the bed. “Is it time to go, then?”

“Well, yes, if you’re ready. But, we can stick around a bit and-”

“Your highness, I think it’s best that you have as full of a day as possible to see the Underground.” She got to her feet, the nightgown slipping to fall around her ankles. Theta let out a squeak and a heavy blush colored his cheeks. 

“Rose, I’ll just wait out here, how’s that sound?”

“Okay.”

He shut the door, seemingly waiting outside it, and Rose hurried to change back into the robes they’d purchased yesterday. She settled everything on and looked in the mirror, patting her cheeks to wake herself up. Nerves started to crawl through her veins, and she forced herself to smile at herself in the mirror.

“It’s alright, you’ve made it this far,” She said to herself. Brushing her hands through her hair, smoothing it down, she headed to the door. She opened it to see Theta leaning against the wall on the other side of the hallway, giving her her space. 

“Shall we sneak out the back?”

The trek back to the elevator that led underground was a bit melancholy for Rose. She felt tension leave her shoulders, but she found herself feeling a bit sad. Theta picked up on it, and nudged her shoulder with his. 

“Are you alright?” he asked.

“Yeah, I’m just fine. I just think… I’m sorry to be going back.”

“You won’t… You won’t be staying there,” he said softly. “We’ll come right back out, right back to talk to Rassilon about what we’ve seen.” He fished around in his robes, pulling out a set of keys. “Here. I’m not going to abandon you down there. So you can hold onto these.”

Rose took the keys in her hand and stared at them for a few moments, then shoved them into her own pocket. “I trust you. I just… After seeing the sky, going back at all is difficult.”

Theta glanced up at the sky himself. “I think I’ve taken it for granted.” After a few moments, he reached out a hand, wiggling his fingers at her. 

Rose snorted out a laugh and took his hand, ignoring the tingle that shot up her arm with it. She smiled a little. It was nice, walking out in the open, without seeing a destination in front of her. The sun touching her face still felt so new, and it was filling her body with happiness that she had never quite felt before. She also felt like holding Theta’s hand attributed to that feeling. But holding hands with the crown prince of Gallifrey was so insane that she had to compartmentalize that thought for now. She didn’t have time to analyze the way that he looked at her. But… It was a little hard to think about it.

They finally reached the elevator again, and the fact that no one was looking at them or watching them made her feel a bit more at ease with the whole thing. Rose fished the keys out of her pocket again and fumbled for the right one. 

“Here,” Theta helped her, hands over hers, and Rose let out a shuddering breath. She didn’t want to go back. Regardless of whether she’d be coming back up or not. She breathed out a heavy sigh and unlocked the elevator. Stepping inside with Theta at her side, she slipped her keys back in her pocket again, keeping them from Theta. She meant it when she said she trusted him, but it didn’t hurt to have the little added security. 

The elevator descended slowly, and Rose felt and heard every click and bump on the way down.

“So I’ll show you… Where I live, first, and then the school… I’m sure we’ll run into some people along the way, but it’s early enough that people probably won’t be out and about now.”

“Sounds good,” Theta rocked back on his heels. “Are you alright?”

He was regarding her carefully, and Rose’s cheeks colored deeply at his scrutiny. “Yeah, I’m alright. Just trying to figure out how exactly to go about this. We’ll almost definitely run into someone I know. All the kids know me, some of their parents. My friend Martha, my mum-”

“That’s okay. I’d like to speak to them.”

“Oh, I’m sure you would. I just don’t know if they would like to speak to  _ you.” _

He huffed a little, looking away from her. “I suppose that’s fair. I’m not sure I’d want to talk to me either. I still hope that they’ll be willing.”

She would have responded, but the elevator reached its destination with a shuddering groan. Rose winced. It wasn’t often that this thing was used, and she was a little worried about it blowing up on their way back up. She curled her fingers around the keys in her pocket, reminding herself that she would be making it back up alive. 

The doors opened and Rose stepped through. A long, grey hallway met them, and Rose set off with more confidence then she actually felt. Theta fell in step next to her, his long strides making it easy to catch up with her. 

“It’s so bland,” he said, glancing up at the fluorescent lights that beat down on them. Rose laughed a little.

“Yeah. Sure is.”

They exited the grey hallway into what appeared to be a city square. There were plenty of people bustling about, all wearing grey, loose fitting clothing. It seemed huge, and the ceilings were high, almost like a large train station, but something about it seemed absolutely stifling. Rose took a deep breath. 

“We’ll… Stand out, for sure, just because of the clothes. And, well, because no one has seen you before. They have, I guess, but not anywhere that’s not on paper.”

“This isn’t what I expected it to look like,” Theta admitted as they walked through the square. 

“Yeah, I suppose not. I’m not far from the main square.” She started expertly weaving through the crowds. While most people sent them glares or strange looks, no one interacted with them, and Theta kept his head down. Rose heard the whispers around her though, those who were accusing her, snarky comments about the school teacher who abandoned them.

“Do they always talk about you like that?” Theta asked, his voice low and angry.

“No. They never had a reason to talk about me at all before now.” She looked around, ducking into a side hallway from the square. “There’s shops around there, and maybe I’ll take you if I can get you into something you won’t stand out in.” She took him down several hallways, looping down until the hallways were narrower, and doors were spread not far from each other with last names written on them.

“We were assigned this apartment when the humans were banished down here,” Rose explained. “S’part of the reason our family will never be big. No room.” She knocked on the door with a plate reading  _ ‘Tyler’  _ on it. She blew her cheeks out and rocked back on her heels. “I think my mum is probably home.”

“Ah… Oh. Your mother.”

“Scared of my mum, your highness?”

He laughed, rubbing the back of his neck. “No.”

The door was flung open, and a woman who looked startlingly like Rose stared at them. “Oh… Rose, I was sure they’d killed you!” The woman threw her arms around Rose and squeezed her tight. “You find a boyfriend in the day you were gone, eh?”

“Mum!” Rose hissed, obliging her in the hug before pushing her back. “This is Prince Theta, he’s the crown prince of Gallifrey, and he wants to help. He’s the entire reason I”m not in prison or dead, so please be nice.”

Theta’s fingers brushed her wrist and she sighed, taking the hint to take his hand. He was  _ definitely  _ scared of her mum.

“My name’s Jackie Tyler,” Rose’s mum stared at Theta, crossing her arms over her chest. “And since my daughter’s already asked me to be nice to you, I guess I will. But I don’t like the way you lot treat us. Would you like some tea?”  
Rose heard Theta swallow next to her. “Tea would be lovely… Thank you.”

Jackie disappeared into the apartment and Rose followed behind, tugging Theta along with her. 

It was a tiny apartment. There was no entryway, the door led right into the living room. There was a kitchen visible and a hallway, which led to the bedrooms. Rose headed right to the couch and sat down. Jackie patted her head as she passed by on her way to the kitchen, and Theta took a seat next to her. It was a lumpy couch, definitely old, and Theta found himself shifting a little bit on it, uncomfortable. 

“So, this is where I live,” Rose said, gesturing about. “I’d give you a tour, but back there is my bedroom, and my mum’s bedroom. And a bathroom. That’s about it.”

“I’ve… Barely even seen the kitchen in the palace,” Theta admitted. 

“Well, why would you need to? All you have to do is ask someone to bring something up for you. You don’t have to make it yourself.”

“True.” Theta looked around. The colors were bland, everything was muted, and of course, there was not a single window. “How do you all stay sufficient with your vitamin intake? Do you take vitamin D?”

“No,” Rose laughed. “Artificial sunlight rooms. We go in there when we’re feeling down, when we feel like our levels might be decreasing. Sometimes it doesn’t help, sometimes it does. Now that I’ve felt the real thing, though… It doesn’t hold a candle. Not even a little bit. The real sun, it’s got this heat that the lamps can’t even touch. It’s different, it feels… Alive.” She smiled a little, and looked over at him. Saw him staring at her, with a small smile on his face. “Why are you looking at me like that?” She asked softly. 

He shook his head, still smiling. “You feel things so deeply. It’s… I’ve never met anyone as passionate as you.”

Rose tucked her hair behind her ear, feeling a light blush crawl up her cheeks. “I… I can’t imagine that’s true, you’ve met so many people, probably.”

“Yes, I have. Not a single one of them was like you.”

She pursed her lips to keep from smiling like a fool. “Very high praise from the crown prince.”

“I mean it.”

He leaned towards her a little, and she felt her breath hitch in her throat. Emotions were warring in her chest, ones that she wasn’t in the least bit familiar with. “I… I think very highly of you, too.”  
“You don’t have to say that.”

“I’m not… I’m not just saying it. I didn’t have any idea that the crown prince would be like this.”

“How did you think I would be?” His voice was low and rumbling, a tone that settled deep in her bones and refused to leave. 

“Cold. Stoic. I didn’t think you would wanna help me, if you didn’t kill me first.” 

He took a deep breath. “I’m glad… I’m glad I’m not those things, then, so you were willing to talk to me.”

“There were plenty of reasons for me to be willing to talk to you. There was just… There was a lot of risk, in what I did. But I couldn’t do it without being open to talking to nobility or royalty. Or, anyone who would listen, actually.”

He laughed a little, dipping his head. “I’m here. I’m still listening.”

“I know.”

“Alright! Tea!” 

The two of them jerked apart as Jackie came into the room with a slightly cracked china tea set. She settled it down on the little table in front of the couch and moved to sit in another armchair. “Go on, then, make it how you like it.”  
Rose set about making tea for the two of them, after asking Theta how he took it. After she made a face at how much sugar he took, she fixed a cup for him and then one for herself. She took a sip, closing her eyes at the familiarity of it. 

“Thanks, mum.”

“Mm. So what happened? What’s going on, now?”

Rose looked back to Theta and then to her mum. “Yeah… I suppose we have a lot of explaining to do. And I suppose I’ll start at the beginning.”


	8. Chapter 8

After Rose and Theta both explained the situation to Jackie, Rose forced a tight smile. “See?” She said, “He’s here to help. He could’ve killed me the second I stepped out of that elevator. But we could all go home now. Back to Earth.”

Jackie’s eyes flicked between the two of them. “How do I know you’re not going to do something-”

Rose pulled Theta’s keys out of the deep pocket of her robe and dangled them in front of her mother’s face. “Because he can’t go anywhere without me.”

Jackie scowled at her daughter. “I’m happy you’re safe, but are you sure this is a good idea? This is the only life we’ve ever lived.”

“So you don’t want to strive for a better one?” Rose lifted her eyebrows. “Where our children don’t have to grow up fighting depression because they’ve never seen sunlight, and everything around them is  _ hopeless?  _ We have to do  _ something.” _

Theta patted her shoulder and left it there. “I- Miss Tyler, I’d very much like to help your daughter in any way I can. We plan to take everything I learn today to Rassilon to convince him to set all of you free. And I’ll do everything I can to provide housing for you off world.”

Jackie grit her teeth, but she seemed to be considering it. “So what is it that you need from me?” 

“Plain clothes,” Rose said. “We stand out too much.”

Jackie sighed. “Alright, fine. I suppose I can do that for you. Rose, you’ve got plenty of clothes still in your room.”

Rose tilted her head towards Theta. “And.. Can you get something for his highness?”  
Jackie scowled. “You don’t mean-”

“Mum. I know you still have dad’s clothes. And they’ll fit him.”

“They’re your  _ dad’s-” _

“I can figure something else out!” Theta said hurriedly, spreading his hands out in front of him in what seemed to be surrender. “I don’t want to cause any trouble.”

“No, your highness, you’re fine.” Rose offered him a reassuring smile and looked back at her mother. “This is for the greater good, mum. Far in the future. I think you can spare something.”

Jackie set her jaw, staring her daughter down. She curled her fingers into the dull fabric at her knees and sighed heavily before seeming to come to a decision. “Wait here,” She said finally, getting to her feet and disappearing to the back of the apartment.

Rose pinched the bridge of her nose once her mother was out of sight, sighing deeply. “I’m sorry about her. I know she can be-”

“No, it’s alright. I know your father, uh, isn’t- I don’t want to pressure anyone-”

Rose held her hand out to stop him, offering a smile. “No, don’t be sorry. She’s just like this. My dad died when I was a baby, and she can’t let him go. But I think she has to, honestly.” She glanced at him meaningfully. “You can’t move forward if you’re stuck in the past.”

He smiled back at her, his gaze softening. “I think you’re remarkable, Rose Tyler.”

She blushed a little, lacing her fingers together in her lap and staring down at them. “Thank you for helping me. That’s quite remarkable as well.”

“Don’t sell yourself short,” he replied, leaning back. “I wouldn’t be here at all if you hadn’t taken the first step and come to the surface.”

Rose had to acknowledge that was true. She tilted her head to him, smiling. “Maybe I’ll take you to one of my favorite spots if we have time. It won’t be nearly as nice as the play you took me to, though.”

“I think anything you like will be quite nice, Rose.”

He was complimenting her quite freely, and Rose felt heat crawl up her cheeks once more. Why this man kept making her blush, she couldn’t tell. No one had ever made her blush like that, not that anyone had tried. Men in the underground were quick with their advances for the most part because there usually weren’t very many options. But several of the men that could have been suitors to Rose turned their noses up at how Rose seemed to be married to her work and didn’t often take free time for herself. 

Theta looked at her like he found her work endearing, like she was doing something  _ good.  _ He asked her questions and he’d taken her to a play last night… It was all starting to confuse her a little bit. 

Jackie came back with a pile of clothes in her arms and threw the lump at Theta’s face. He didn’t put his hands up in time and caught them right in the nose with a grunt. He caught the clothes in his hands once they dropped and got to his feet, dipping his head to Jackie in thanks. 

“Is there somewhere I can go to change, Mrs. Tyler?” He asked softly, trying to tread carefully. 

“You can change in my room,” Jackie said firmly. “I’ll show you the way, Rose, you change in yours.”

Rose rolled her eyes, sensing that her mum thought there was something going on between them. “You know, nothing’s going on-”

“I don’t care! You’ve spent a whole day on the surface with this man, and I don’t know what you lot get up to on the surface. Go on now.”

Rose rolled her eyes and walked to her room, shutting the door behind her. She turned and looked into the room, staring around at the grey surroundings that filled the room. There were no windows, but she had a sun simulation lamp in the corner. In a room that felt so much like home just a couple of days ago no longer felt like home. It now felt like coming into a museum. Maybe it would be, someday. Someday they wouldn’t be living in  _ cubes  _ like this. Not if she could help it anyway. And the more time she spent with Theta, the more she thought that he’d be able to help her take it all the way there.

Sighing, she headed to her dresser and opened her drawers. Shuffling through the neatly folded articles of clothes, she pulled out robes that she used for days she taught. She silently mourned taking off the deep red and gold robes she’d been given, and laid them out on her bed just so the color would bite through the dullness of the room. She smiled a little, and slipped back into the drab clothes that had carried her through her life here. She glanced at herself in the mirror over her dresser and sighed deeply. This woman, standing in front of her, didn’t even really look like her. She wasn’t sure that it was so possible that she’d changed so much over the course of just one day, but she definitely had. She breathed out a sigh, staring into her own eyes. 

It felt so dark here, now that she’d been above the surface. She removed Theta’s keys from the robes that she’d changed out of and shoved them into her deep, grey pockets. Curling her fingers around them, she sighed heavily, feeling just a little bit of comfort. She exited her bedroom and saw Theta at the end of the hallway, wearing her dad’s old clothes. They were a little too big for him, and it was odd to see him in grey, but his personality still lit him up. She tilted her head, watching him carefully. 

He was… Good looking. The regal slope of his nose, deep eyes, and tall figure… He was unlike any man she’d ever met. She couldn’t really fall in love with him. Rose jolted at the mere thought of it. Unreasonable. Ridiculous. No reason to fall for him, even a little, even if he was attractive. 

She walked back out and tilted her head to him. “That’s a change,” she said, smiling a little.”

He laughed, spreading his hands out. “Not exactly what I usually wear, Rose Tyler. But comfortable.”

She ran her hands along the fabric at her hips. “I guess so. There’s something about wearing something nice though, that felt different. Nice.”

“You looked nice,” he offered back, eyes soft.

Rose blushed, looking away from him. She wasn’t sure why his gaze on hers made her so flustered. She scuffed her toe against the floor. “Thank you.”

Jackie came back into the living room from the kitchen, scowling at the two of them. “So I suppose you’ll be heading out, then?”

Rose turned to her mother, shrugging her shoulders as though nothing was amiss. “Um, yeah. I just wanna show his highness how things are done down here, how we live. Then we can go back up to the surface and talk to Rassilon.”

“If he doesn’t go back on his word,” Jackie said, glaring at Theta. 

“I won’t go back on my word,” Theta said solemnly, his gaze laser focused on Jackie. “Rose has trusted me with so much already, I wouldn’t break that trust.” He shoved his hands deep into his pockets and rocked back on his heels, head cocked to the side. “I think we should get going now.”

Rose nodded. “We should blend in more, now.”

Theta offered her a soft smile, and she looked away from him again. It was hard to look at him when he looked at her like that. She nodded, bidding goodbye to her mother with a quick hug and leaving the apartment, not even looking behind her to see if Theta was following her. She was sure he was. 

He fell into step next to her as the door to the apartment slammed shut.

“Where to first?” He asked. 

She tried not to laugh at the obvious skip in his step. “The sunlight replication rooms,” she said. “Getting Vitamin D… That’s pretty important for mental health, and that’s the only way we can get it, besides taking supplements. But those aren’t available, really.” She glanced over at him. “I want you to tell me how you think it feels.”

They moved quickly through the underground, now not stopped by anyone who thought they looked different. Rose kept her head down, not wanting to be spotted by anyone she knew just yet, though she knew it was inevitable, and quite honestly, she wouldn’t mind Theta meeting Martha. She’d probably have a lot to say as well.

Finally, they approached the heavy double doors that led to the Sun Replication room. Rose pushed her shoulder against it, opening it and staring into the room unblinking. It had been so long since she’d been in here. She didn’t have  _ time,  _ usually. 

The room was very much like a greenhouse, plants scattered throughout it, and large sun lamps hanging from the ceiling. There were a few people milling about, but not too many- Rose was still sure they could have a conversation without being heard. 

“This is it?” Theta asked softly as they started to walk up one of the aisles. 

Rose glanced around at the grey walls. “Yeah, this is it. What were you expecting?”

Theta opened and closed his mouth a few times. “Something bigger, I suppose. Something with more… Sunlight.”

Rose laughed a little, shaking her head. “Nope, this is it.” She gestured up to the sun lamps. “It’s best if you stand right under one.” She demonstrated, standing under the sun lamp closest to them and tilted her head up, closing her eyes. 

She felt Theta stand in front of her, his chest close to hers. He hummed a little, as though he was trying to calculate something. “It doesn’t really feel like the sun at all.”

“You know, before yesterday, I would have disagreed with you,” Rose laughed, opening her eyes to look into his face. “But now… It feels nothing like it.” She waved a hand around. “The sun is… Stronger, it feels so much heavier, in a good way. I already sort of miss it.”

“Did this help you? Before?” He seemed genuinely curious, and a bit concerned.

Rose lifted her shoulder. “I suppose. A bit. With my teaching, though, I didn’t usually have a ton of time to come down here. Usually at night, and then my body thought it was daytime, so I couldn’t go to sleep.” She tilted her chin towards some of the people walking by. “But look at them, your highness. Does anyone here look happy to you?”

He did as she asked, glancing around the room, watching people mill about slowly, talking in low tones. Most with eyes downcast. They were here because they  _ needed  _ it, because sunlight was a privilege they weren’t given. Theta turned back to Rose, his eyes full of a deep emotion she wanted to say was sorrow. He studied her, for several long, painful moments, and reached out to her, holding her cheeks in his hands, searching her eyes.

“You… Your eyes,” he said softly, staring down at her. “You’re different here.”

She took hold of one of his wrists with her hand, anchoring herself to him. “I’m not even sure I know who I am anymore,” she confessed. “Is my true self the one on top of the surface? Or is it here?”

“Maybe your true self is someone you haven’t even met yet,” Theta suggested. “I certainly feel different.”

“Do you?”

“I’ve been selfish, to complain about Rassilon not wanting me to go off world. I’ve felt trapped with a whole planet at my disposal, and you don’t even get the sun.”

She winced a little, and felt his thumbs brush over her cheekbones. “Don’t… Compare it. That’s not fair to you. It’s alright to want things. It’s not selfish.”

“I want to fix this,” he said firmly, stepping a little closer to her, their toes almost touching. “I want to make sure you all get to leave, go back home to Earth, or go wherever you want. You shouldn’t have to stay here.”

Rose nodded a little. “It makes me really happy to hear you say that, your highness.”

“Theta.”

“Hm?”

“When it’s… Like this, when it’s just you and me here… You can call me Theta.”

She bit her lip, feeling the weight of his words, and the permission they gave. “Theta,” she confirmed softly. “Thank you.”

He smiled brightly at her, letting out a light laugh. “Don’t thank me just yet, Rose Tyler.”

Rose wasn’t sure what would happen next, but the call of “Rose?? Rose Tyler, is that you??” In a  _ very  _ familiar voice stopped both of them in their tracks.


	9. Chapter 9

"Martha!” Rose took a large step back from Theta, ignoring the feeling of cold down her front as she distanced herself from him. She beamed as her friend ran up to her and threw her arms around her neck. 

“All the kids thought you were dead!” Martha cried, pulling back and squeezing Rose’s face in her cheeks. “What’s  _ wrong  _ with you?? Are you alright?” Her pretty face was pinched with worry, and Rose couldn’t keep herself from laughing. She shook her head, reaching up and grasping Martha by the wrists, tugging her hands away from her face. 

“I’m fine!” Rose assured her. “Sorry to worry you.”

“Oh, no you’re not, this is what you’ve wanted all along, for me to have a proper heart attack.” Martha sighed heavily and looked over at Theta. “Don’t think I didn’t notice you either, mister. Who are you?”

Theta let out a laugh, scuffing his toes on the floor. He looked to Rose for help, and she took pity on him, smiling a little.

“Martha, this is Prince Theta- he’s empathizing with us and he’s gathering intel with me today to take to Rassilon.”

Martha’s eyes blew wide. “No way. Really?” She looked to Theta. “You’re not just here to gather information on us and then kill us all, right?”

“No!” Theta spread his hands in surrender. “No, I… Rose has explained to me, everything that you lot have gone through, what we don’t learn about in school when it comes to you. I… I really want to help.”

Martha still seemed a little suspicious. She crossed her arms slowly, glancing over at Rose. “And you trust this guy?”  
Rose nodded. “He hasn’t given me a reason not to,” She pulled Theta’s keys from her pocket. “Besides, he can’t go back up to the surface without me.” She leaned in towards her friend, her eyes earnest. “Really, Martha. He’s here to help us.”

“Anything you could tell me about the humans’ situation would be helpful, Martha,” Theta offered helpfully, though he looked very awkward. He clasped his hands together behind his back and looked around, a little uncertainly. “I… I don’t think I know enough, but I know that while this system has produced excellent, brilliant people like Rose, I know that it’s broken.”

Martha cocked her head to the side. “Well, seeing as how you haven’t killed Rose yet, and you do seem willing… Come with me, then.”

“Where to?” Rose asked, suspicious of her friend’s intentions. Martha felt every emotion very strongly, and Rose was a bit worried that she’d do something foolish in an attempt to prove herself.

“The school, and then maybe I should cook for the both of you so you can see what this horrible place has to offer as far as food goes, as well.”

Rose perked up a little at the thought. “I’m not sure I should see the kids, but I… I did miss the school, yesterday.”

“Your students were terrified,” Martha remarked as she led Rose and Theta out of the room. “They thought you’d probably been shot on sight when you were sent back down. I’m not sure if any of them are still there today, but I’m sure they’d be chuffed to see you, Rose.” Martha reached to Rose and squeezed her hand, smiling widely. “I’m just glad you’re alright.”

“Thanks, Martha.”

They walked to the school, which was seemingly at the end of a long maze of tunnels. Rose kept looking behind herself to check on Theta. She was surprised to note that while she was checking on him because she wanted him to save them all and get her off this bloody planet, she also had to acknowledge that she found herself caring for him, just a bit. 

HIs kindness was not what she had expected from Gallifrey royalty. In their school books, they’d been described as stoic leaders, and the undertones, among the humans, had been that the royal family was made up of evil captors. And until yesterday, it had certainly seemed that way. But Theta hung on every word she spoke, and encouraged her in ways that she had never expected. She started to see him less as a royal and more as just… A man. Not that there was anything ‘just’ about him. He was brilliant, to put it  _ very  _ lightly. 

Every time she looked behind herself to check on him, he met her gaze and offered her a bright smile. Martha chattered on about what Rose had missed the previous day, but she couldn’t force herself to listen when that thousand watt smile was focused on her. Theta was the sort of many she’d never seen before. He made her heart skip in an unfamiliar way. What was that?  
Maybe she was falling ill.

Finally, when they made it to the school house, which was simply a series of grey, dull hallways built into the walls, with not much difference from the outside of the Underground, Martha released Rose’s hand. She gestured forwards. “Well, Mr. Prince, isn’t this what you wanted to see? This is where the future learns.”

Theta frowned, stepping up to stand next to Rose. “Shouldn’t the school be more… Imposing?”

“I think when it was built, the Gallifreyans didn’t want it to take up too much space,” Rose admitted. “Not that there’s many children at any given time anyway.” She sighed softly, crossing her arms over her chest. “I know that we aren’t the last of the humans, that there are some on other planets… That there are people who have it worse and better than us, but with a school like this,” she gestured to the plain doors in front of her. “How are we ever supposed to be better?”

“Oh!” Martha cried suddenly. “You should see Rose’s classroom, though! She’s really outdone herself decorating it.”  
Theta looked over at Rose, a bemused smile on his face. “Is that so?”  
Rose blushed, looking away from Theta’s dark gaze. “Um. Well, we all do a fair bit of decoratin’.”

“You started it, though,” Martha pointed out. “The other teachers are all older,” she informed Theta. “Rose put a little bit of life back into this old place, I think.”

“So did you.”

“I was just glad I wasn’t the only young person teaching,” Martha corrected her. 

“Let’s go inside,” Rose replied. She felt a little on edge, being complimented so much with Theta’s eyes on her the entire time. She led the way this time, leaving Martha and Theta a bit in the dust, and followed the familiar path to her classroom. It seemed that many of the students were done for the day, as there were only a few children in the halls as they passed by. They were all older students, who wouldn’t have recognized Rose had they known her initially. 

Their eyes looked tired. Rose noticed it for the first time, and her heart ached. Her whole life, she hadn’t even noticed it, because everyone looked that way. The vitamin deficiency, the physical weakness… It was all simply the norm, regardless of upbringing or who’s family the child belonged to. Everyone was tired, mostly because, Rose supposed, there was hardly ever anything to look forward to.

After seeing everyone above ground the day before, Rose realized how exhausted everyone truly looked. Even Martha looked worn down, and she was so young as well. Rose supposed she’d never really thought about how this life affected them in the long term. She looked back and watched Theta watching the action (or lack thereof) around him. He seemed to be intent, barely blinking, and while he was focused, his gait was casual, so he wasn’t arousing any suspicion. 

For what felt like the first time, Rosee wondered what he was thinking. He seemed to be such a smart man, and he was caring- the fact that he cared so much about the humans sort of said a lot about him right there. She blew her cheeks out and fell back to walk next to him. He turned his attention immediately to her and smiled softly.

“Hello.”

She laughed a little. “Hello. What are you thinking?”

“I… There’s a lot to think,” he admitted. “I think that what’s happening is horrible. I think that I’m embarrassed to be the crown prince if this is how we treat the people who are under us. When I say I want to help, I mean it, Rose.”

She smiled, lacing her fingers together in front of her. “I’m glad. I was sort of afraid that all of this would be for nothing.”

“I’ll make sure it’s not for nothing,” Theta said firmly, resting a hand on her shoulder. A jolt travelled through her body at his touch and she wondered if it might be some sort of Gallifreyan power. Her smile widened. “It’s very much appreciated.”

“I… What do you think you’ll do? If I’m able to release the humans.”

Rose tilted her head to the side. “I don’t know. Maybe go back to Earth.” She laughed, wrinkling her nose. “I say that like I’ve been there before. I haven’t. I always wanted to though. But i’m not sure I’d want to stay there. After everything I’ve learned about all these amazing places in the universe… How could I just stay still?”

His gaze upon her was wistful, and he nodded. “I know exactly what you mean. You know, I’ll miss you though.”

“Oh, will you?”

“I’ve known you for two days, Rose Tyler, and you have fundamentally changed my life.”

She opened her mouth to respond, but by that time Martha was annoyed by being left to her own devices and walking alone. She turned around, hands on her hips.

“Oi. Are you two coming? Rose’s classroom is right here.”

As Rose had expected, there were no children in the room, all cleared out for the day, but there were still hints the people had been there today. A missing notebook or pen could be seen on almost every desk, and Rose smiled fondly at the sight of them. Despite their circumstances, they were just children, losing things in their excitement to play.

She walked behind her desk and sat in the chair, staring out over the sea of empty desks. It felt lonely in here without them, despite the fact that she’d seen them just a day previous. It felt like so much had changed since then. 

“You… You’ve done a lovely job here,” Theta said softly, “It’s set up really nicely.”

Rose smiled, tilting her head in thanks. “Thank you,” she said. “I try to make it feel what I think it might be like outside.” She wrinkled her nose, looking around. “I don’t think I did things right though. It looks really different.”

Martha cocked her head, looking around as well. “It’s still nice. Not that I know what outside looks like.”

Rose laughed. “Sorry, Martha.”

“Ah, it’s alright.” She grinned and looked back to Theta. “What do you think, your highness?”

Theta shoved his hands into his pockets and rocked back on his heels, glancing around the room. “I think it shows a light in your spirit,” he said softly. “You... Are quite remarkable, Rose. Even without seeing the outside, you wanted to provide it for those children, and I think that’s very admirable of you.”

Rose wasn’t sure what it was about compliments from him that made her stomach flip and made her need to look away from him, but something about his words seemed so genuine that she almost had to dismiss herself from the conversation entirely. She felt a light blush crawl up her cheeks and she smiled a little, forcing herself to make eye contact with him.

“I appreciate that.”

Martha looked between the two of them. “Well! As long as you come see me before you head to the surface again, I’ve got some things to tend to here.” She walked round the desk and pulled Rose into a hug. “Don’t run off!”

Rose laughed. “I won’t. I promise.” 

Martha winked and disappeared from the room, leaving Rose alone with Theta again. He smiled, looking back to Theta once Martha was gone. “She’s really nice. I’m sort of glad we ran into her.”

“Me too. She thinks very highly of you.” 

Rose lifted a shoulder, unsure of how to respond to that. “We’re very close.”

“She teaches too?”

“Mmhm.”

Theta came around the side of the desk and sat down on the edge, legs next to her arm. “I meant what I said. I think you’re remarkable.” 

Rose leaned back in her chair. “Do you, your highness?” She tilted her head to the side. 

He laughed, looking down at his hands. “I know you’re teasing, but I mean it. You don’t have to call me that when it’s just us.”

“How often do you think it’s going to be just us?”  
He pulled her chair in front of him, pulling a startled squeak out of her. He pressed his hands onto the arm rests and leaned forwards. His eyes were earnest, searching hers with an intensity that made her breath catch in her throat. 

“Rose Tyler, when I dismantle this system from the inside out, I have a feeling I’ll want to stay by your side.”


End file.
